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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2474 for Friday, March 28th, 2025 Amateur
Radio Newsline Report Number 2474 with a release date of Friday, March
28th, 2025 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. In the Netherlands, amateur radio signals
bounce off Venus and back to Earth. An international team of operators
raises awareness of autism spectrum disorder -- and Newsline's April
Fool's Day correspondent is back with some big news for you!! All this
and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2474 comes your way
right now.

**
BILLBOARD CART

**
EARTH-VENUS-EARTH BOUNCE A FIRST FOR NETHERLANDS

PAUL/ANCHOR: Our top story this week is a first for a radio telescope
in the Netherlands which succeeded in bouncing amateur radio signals
off Venus - the latest such achievement by scientists around the world.
Stephen Kinford N8WB brings us this update.

STEPHEN: Amateur radio signals that were bounced off Venus some 26
million miles away, have returned to Earth where they were picked up by
the Dwingeloo Radio Telescope, PI9RD, in the Netherlands, according to
news reports on the 25th of March.

The achievement - the second of its kind in Europe - means that amateur
radio signals covered a distance that is more than 100 times greater
than those that are traveled by Earth-Moon-Earth, or moon-bounce
signals.

Scientists' fascination with using Venus-bounce dates back several
decades when radar was bounced off the planet from the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology here in the United States. Much later, radar
from the Arecibo [ARRA SEE BO] Observatory in Puerto Rico was bounced
off Venus and the signal's return to Earth was picked up by the Green
Bank Telescope in West Virginia. The radar trace was used to create
imagery of the planet's surface.

It was a German observatory that achieved what is considered a first
for Europe using amateur radio waves: A team from AMSAT-DL achieved
bounce and successful reception 16 years ago at the ground station at
the Bochum observatory sending a CW signal. Until the Dwingeloo
Venus-bounce, this was the only such achievement to date of its kind.

Meanwhile, in the US, a California not-for-profit group, the Open
Research Institute, has begun a project as well involving
Earth-Venus-Earth experimentation. ORI asks interested hams to contact
them via their website, openresearch dot institute. That's openresearch
- one word - dot institute. (openresearch.institute)

This is Stephen Kinford N8WB.

(ORI, DWINGELOO OBSERVATORY, AMATEUR RADIO DAILY, SPACE.COM, AMSAT-DL)

**
OFCOM PROPOSES DIRECT SMARTPHONE-SATELLITE CONNECTIONS

PAUL/ANCHOR: Smartphone users in the UK could soon be able to connect wirelessly to satellites under a proposal being considered by that
nation's regulator, as we learn from Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

JEREMY: The UK is poised to have the first European telecommunications
system that enables standard smartphones to send and receive signals
from space. The system, known as "direct-to-device" technology,
connects smartphones wirelessly to satellites. A similar permission was recently authorised in the US by the Federal Communications Commission.

The UK regulator, Ofcom, is proposing to allocate radio frequencies for
use in the UK, especially for rural and other currently underserved communication network areas and is inviting comments from the public
until 20th of May. Ofcom believes that this could both facilitate
sending texts and internet connections during outages, and that access
would be allowed to the mobile airwaves for two-way communications
between smartphones and satellite operators' networks. If approved,
service could begin to roll out later this year.

There has already been a promising field test of the technology in
January, under a trial licence issued to Vodafone, who, using a
standard smartphone, completed the first satellite video call from a
remote part of Wales currently without standard mobile network
coverage.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(OFCOM, YAHOO FINANCE)

**
HAMS REACH OUT TO BOOST AUTISM AWARENESS

PAUL/ANCHOR: Autism spectrum disorder is often misunderstood -- but an international effort is going on the air starting on April 2nd to
change all that. We have those details from Jack Parker W8ISH.

JACK: The call for autism awareness will be heard around the world
during the week of April 2nd through to April 8th. Hams will be calling
"CQ Special Event Autism Awareness Week," encouraging inclusion and
awareness of the autism spectrum disorder.

This event is being organized for the third year by James Gallo,
KB2FMH, who believes the best impact the activation can have is its
engagement of other operators in ragchews or short chats about their experiences with autism. James says that because this is not a contest,
the real prize is the experience of meaningful contact and conversation
- spreading the word that it's OK to be different.

During last year's event, that message traveled far and wide. According
to the QRZ.com page for W2A, operators around the world logged 17,129
QSOs, with signals traveling nearly 83 million miles.

In the US, listen for the callsign W2A. Listen for other stations
around the world, including GB2AA, 8A2AAW, S76A, VO1BIG/VE3 and 7A2M.

Visit the QRZ.com page for W2A to see which callsigns are participating
and to learn more about the autism spectrum disorder, which is an often-misunderstood diagnosis - or may go altogether undiagnosed.

This is Jack Parker W8ISH.

(QRZ.COM, JAMES GALLO, KB2FMH)

**
VOICE OF AMERICA MUSEUM REASSURES VISITORS

PAUL/ANCHOR: Although the US administration is making cuts to the
parent agency of Voice of America and other international news
services, the Voice of America Museum in West Chester, Ohio is assuring visitors that it is not affected by these government decisions. The
museum is a standalone not-for-profit entity that relies on support
from the public - not federal funding.

The museum's executive director, Jack Dominic, released a statement
reassuring concerned hams and other callers that the museum will
continue to tell the story of the Voice of America, even as the news
agency itself goes silent. As always, the museum looks forward to
seeing hams from around the world during Hamvention this coming May.
Museum hours during Hamvention will be from noon to 9 p.m. on Thursday,
Friday and Saturday - that's May 15th through to May 17th - and on
Sunday, May 18th, from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door.
Amateur radio station WC8VOA will be on the air so bring a copy of your license.

(JACK DOMINIC, VOA MUSEUM)

**
COURT DELAYS DEFUNDING OF RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY

PAUL/ANCHOR: In related news, a federal court in the United States has
declared that Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty, one of the
government-run news services marked for dismantling by the White House,
cannot be terminated. The US District Court said that the news
services' continued operation, serving listeners overseas, was [quote]
"in the public interest." [endquote] According to a report on the Radio
Wold website, the judge's ruling on March 26th concluded that [quote] "irreparable harm" [endquote] would result from any shutdown.

(RADIO WORLD)

**

A CW EVENT TURNS THE CALENDAR BACK TO 1935

PAUL/ANCHOR: Many of us are familiar with the twice-a-year-ritual of
turning the clocks ahead or rolling them back but ... how about turning
the calendar back, say, 90 years? Andy Morrison K9AWM tells us why some
CW ops simply can't wait to do that.

ANDY: It's time to put away your software-defined rig and enjoy being
behind the times - way behind the times. The George Batterson 1935 QSO
Party will devote two weekends in April to rigs that were either
manufactured or home brewed in 1935 or before. CW ops will be looking
to make QSOs on the weekends of April 5th through 7th and April 12th
through 14th to honor the Silent Key George Batterson, W2GB, who was
one of the original founders of the Antique Wireless Association based
in upstate New York.

The CW ops are hoping for contacts with as many other 1935-era stations
as possible on 160, 80, 40 and 20 meters - and they expect that, like
the rigs themselves, the experience will be a classic.

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.

**
NOMINATE THE NEXT YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR

PAUL/ANCHOR: We remind our listeners that young hams who live in the continental United States have an opportunity to make news, if they
aren't already doing so, by being a recipient of this year's Amateur
Radio Newsline Bill Pasternak Memorial Young Ham of the Year Award.
Consider nominating an amateur radio operator 18 years of age or
younger -- someone who has talent, promise and a commitment to the
spirit of ham radio. Do you know someone who might qualify to receive
this year's honor? Find application forms on our website arnewsline.org
under the "YHOTY" tab. Nominations are now open. We are accepting
nominations through May 31st.

**
BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including
the W8ODJ Summit County ARES repeater on 444.550 MHz in Akron Ohio on
Thursdays at 8 p.m. local time.

**
HAMS AID ELDERLY WIDOW LOST FOR 2 MONTHS

PAUL/ANCHOR: An annual religious pilgrimage in India ended with an
additional but unintended journey for an 80-year-old widow who is
unable to speak - that is, until a group of hams helped her find her
way home recently. Jim Meachen ZL2BHF has that story.

JIM: The Hindu pilgrimage known as the Gangasagar Mela left an
80-year-old participant lost and alone at the end of the event this
past January. She had become separated from the group she had traveled
with from her home state. Unable to speak, she was eventually taken to
the local police station where officers assumed she was ill and
transported her to the district hospital.

That's when another group - an amateur radio organisation known as the
West Bengal Radio Club - was called in by police to solve the mystery
of where she was from. The club's members are widely known for their
robust communications network which has assisted scores of displaced
persons over the years. Using amateur radio and other means, the club circulated information about the woman - and sent her photograph to
amateur clubs around the country. Within a few hours, the response came
back that the woman was from the state of Uttar Pradesh and had
traveled to the annual pilgrimage by train with a group from the
district of Ballia. The hams learned that during the past two months,
several people from Ballia had returned to West Bengal to look for her
but without success.

The hams provided the missing pieces to the puzzle and according to
Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2JFA, secretary of the radio club, the police in
her home district have since been directed by the local magistrate to
bring her safely home.

This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

(SOCIAL NEWS XYZ, AMBARISH NAG BISWAS, VU2JFA)

**
2 NEW INDUCTEES INTO CANADIAN AMATEUR RADIO HALL OF FAME

PAUL/ANCHOR: Congratulations to John Schouten, VE7TI, who has been
inducted into the Canadian Amateur Radio Hall of Fame for 2024. John
was a founding member of the Vancouver Emergency Community
Telecommunications Organization, where he has also been a director. He
has also served as the local emergency coordinator for Radio Amateurs
of Canada for Vancouver. Over the years, John has been regional amateur
radio representative and local municipal amateur coordinator for the
British Columbia Provincial Emergency Program. He is active with the
Surrey Emergency Program Amateur Radio group and Surrey Amateur Radio Communications, where he serves as director and developer of its course
for the Basic amateur radio exam. He is also editor of the club's
newsletter, The Communicator.

The hall of fame honor was also given posthumously to Adam Farson,
VA7OJ, who became a Silent Key in March of 2024. A winner of the
Technical Achievement Award at Hamvention in 2022, Adam's wisdom and
expertise was much sought after on a wide range of HF transceivers and amplifiers. The retired telecomm engineer was a longtime member of the
North Shore Amateur Radio Club.

(RAC, QRZ.COM)

**
SPECIAL EVENT IS TRIBUTE TO DXPEDITIONER ZORRO, JH1AJT/SK

PAUL/ANCHOR: In Fiji, a team of hams has been honoring a friend and
fellow DXpeditioner who left a lasting legacy. We hear more from Jason
Daniels VK2LAW.

JASON: The DXer, DXpeditioner and humanitarian known as Zorro, JH1AJT,
left enduring footprints on the planet where so many entities in Asia
and Africa spelled adventure for him on his activations. His legacy
reflects his commitment beyond merely calling QRZ from those locales.
His many humanitarian works include the establishment of the Foundation
for Global Children in 2010. He also gave an endowment to the INDEXA's Humanitarian Aid Fund. Zorro sought to improve the lives of people
wherever his travels took him, especially children.

When he became a Silent Key in March of 2022 at the age of 72, his
death from cancer left a void that his friends continue to fill in the
same spirit with which Zorro lived his life. The special event station,
3D2AJT, has been on the air from Fiji since the 16th of March to honor
Zorro and will continue through the end of April, with operators using
CW, SSB, FT4, FT8 and VARAC. Four-page QSL cards will be available
after the activation, featuring a collection of photos from Zorro's
life, and the statement from him: [quote] "I shall go wherever I am
needed and I shall do whatever needs to be done." [Endquote]

Three years after his passing, Zorro - Yasuo Miyazawa - continues to be remembered with this memorial activation, even as his other good works
carry on as well. For more details, see the QRZ.com page for 3D2AJT.

This is Jason Daniels VK2LAW.

(QRZ.COM, DX WORLD)

**

WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, listen for the callsign 4K0T on the air from the
Khizi Mountains of Azerbaijan on the 29th and 30th of March. The team
will be using SSB and FT8 on 80-10 meters. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

Dave, G4OSY, is using the callsign 8P9EI from Barbados, IOTA number
NA-021, through to the 6th of April. Dave can be found on CW and SSB on
40-10 metres. QSL to his home callsigns.

Listen for Alex, K6VHF, who is calling QRZ as K6VHF/HR9 from Roatan
Island, IOTA Number NA-057, in Honduras from the 30th of March through
to the 6th of April. Alex is using mainly the digital modes on 80-6
metres. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

(425 DX BULLETIN)

**
APRIL FOOL! PIERRE PULLINMYLEG HAS BIG NEWS FOR YOU - OR NOT

PAUL/ANCHOR: Our final story comes from someone who is possibly
Newsline's hardest-working correspondent of all, Pierre Pullinmyleg.
Pierre works so hard that he only has time for one story a year - on
April Fool's Day. He's back in time for this year's April 1st
exclusive. Remember, you heard this report first on Amateur Radio
Newsline. In fact, this is probably the ONLY place you'll hear it.
Pierre?

PIERRE: Bonjour, mes amis. Pierre has wonderful news. Those nasty solar
storms that are messing with our QSOs - sacre bleu! - they have
inspired big changes in the popular award schemes. People can now
compete in the middle of a radio blackout. Do you do POTA, SOTA, BOTA,
IOTA or any other "OTA"? Ah, you will celebrate this! It's time for
Parks OFF the Air, Summits OFF the Air, Beaches OFF the Air, Islands
OFF the Air.....well, you get zee idea! Zee rules? You must go to a
park, climb a summit or go to the beach and STAY THERE for as long as
you can, even overnight. DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! FOR HOURS!! DO NOT
BRING YOUR RADIO! Mes amis, you do not even need to be licensed! This
is easy, mais non?? Pierre, in fact, he does this every day and has
even won a big trophy for Couches OFF the air, Inflatable Mattresses
OFF the air, and might I add Barstools OFF the air! (Pierre is a very
big winner there, heh heh.) You will excuse me now, please....another competition is about to begin and Pierre is so very thirsty. This is
Pierre Pullinmyleg, for Amateur Radio Newsline. Au revoir (hiccup).

**
Have you sent in your amateur radio haiku to Newsline's haiku challenge
yet? It's as easy as writing a QSL card. Set your thoughts down using traditional haiku format - a three-line verse with five syllables in
the first line, seven in the second and five in the third. Submit your
work on our website at arnewsline.org - each week's winner gets a
shout-out on our website, where everyone can find the winning haiku.

NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Amateur News Daily; AMSAT-DL; Ambarish
Nag Biswas, VU2JFA; David Behar K7DB; Dwingeloo Observatory; DXWorld;
Jack Dominic; James Gallo, KB2FMH; Ofcom; QRZ.com; Radio Amateurs of
Canada; shortwaveradio.de; Space.com; Wireless Institute of Australia; YahooFinance; and you our listeners, that's all from the Amateur Radio Newsline. We remind our listeners that Amateur Radio Newsline is an all-volunteer non-profit organization that incurs expenses for its
continued operation. If you wish to support us, please visit our
website at arnewsline.org and know that we appreciate you all. We also
remind our listeners that if you like our newscast, please leave us a
5-star rating wherever you subscribe to us. For now, with Caryn Eve
Murray KD2GUT at the news desk in New York, and our news team
worldwide, I'm Paul Braun WD9GCO in Valparaiso Indiana saying 73. As
always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is
Copyright 2025. All rights reserved.

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